


Trouble Is... (Jack Barakat- Slow Burn)

by guidingcharlotte



Category: All Time Low, All Time Low (Band), AllTimeLow, Fanfiction - Fandom, Romance - Fandom, WWE, atl - Fandom, jack barakat - Fandom, jackbarakat - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26525437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guidingcharlotte/pseuds/guidingcharlotte
Summary: Isabella Chapman used to be on tour with All Time Low as their merch girl. Now, she's a full-fledged WWE Wrestler.  She recently reconnected with the All Time Low boys again, and she's starting to see things in a new light. Question is: Would her relationship with Jack Barakat reignite a friendship or more?





	1. Throwback

5 years ago...  
  


A backpack was put on the table. Loud clanks ran through the quiet bus. It was as if the sound of booze had brought the bus to life. The All Time Low boys rejoiced, painting Jonathan Cook, the frontman of Forever the Sickest Kids, as a god for bringing the alcohol.

Tonight's show of the AP Tour was a success. Everyone was already in high spirits, running on the adrenaline. But now, they were ecstatic. The party was about to begin.

"Okay underage kiddos here ya go, celebrate responsibly," he said pulling out a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of rum, a small bottle of tequila, a bottle of Everclear, and a large bottle of vodka. "I, uh kinda forgot what y'all asked for so I brought one everything."

"Thanks for doing this man," Alex said, handing Jonathan a wad of cash.

"Here's to the rest of the fucking tour," Jack said.

"Everyone come on, we're celebrating," Ryan yelled as he served shots of gin.

"Are we starting already?" A short blonde asked through a grin. Her hair was teased up high and she had black strands peeking out from under her layers.

Zack rustled her hair and gave her a shot. She groaned and noticed the new guy was staring at her. She flashed a smile in his direction.

"I'm sorry, we haven't met. I'm Jonathan," he said extending his hand.

"Isabella, but they call me Bella. I do merch for these guys," she shook his hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Jonathan!"

"Oh, you're a strong little lady." She shrugged with a smirk. "By the way your eyes are immaculate," he said, hoping that if he complimented her green eyes, this might go somewhere. Bella smiled sweetly and thanked him.

Alex called to cheers for a successful day. Jonathan raised his cup to Bella. She winked and did the same.

The strong taste made her face twist. Jack laughed and poured himself another drink.

"You can't be serious," Jack teased. "The party's just getting started and you're already making faces?"

"Mark my words. Today," she grabbed the tequila bottle and filled her cup. "Today will be the day I outdrink you, Jack. Guaranteed," Bella threatened. Jack raised his cup and cheered. This had never happened and, was highly unlikely because he was twice her size. Regardless, she reasoned that because Jack didn't eat much that day, she might have a chance.

"LET'S NOT-" Rian started.

"It's too late man. All we can do is drink along," Zach said as he also poured another shot of the gin.

Hours later, it was looking more like a certified All Time Low Party (TM)- tour edition. The music could be heard from a block away. Between the supporting bands from the tour and other friends that were in the area, there were well over 50 people in the back area of the bus, with more on their way. The crowd made their presence felt with cheers, chants, and drunk singing. The table lined with booze and a beer pong table acted as a barrier, preventing people from getting inside the bus. The front area of the bus was hazy with smoke from the loud dank greenery and the occasional cigarettes smoker.

Jack was now 8 shots in, a solid two shots ahead of Bella by now. However, due to overconfidence, had switched to the much stronger bottle of Everclear after about shot 2. He fumbled around looking for the tequila bottle. Once he got it, he swung it around and shuffled over to Bella. Bella was somewhere across the yard dancing with the Forever the Sickest Kids boys. They screamed along to Blink's "The Rock Show," enjoying each other's company.

"Bel-la," Jack slurred squeezing between her and Jonathan. "Come on! You've gotta... ketchup."Bella took the bottle from his hands and poured herself and the Forever guys a drink. She lifted her red cup and the group took their shots. JackA started a "shots" chant, drawing attention to the group. They clashed their cups together and downed the drinks. Cheers erupted. Bella looked over, and then, noticed just how messed up Jack was. He cheered loudly and swayed a bit. His actions showed the sheer dedication to partying. She would give him that, he was messy, but at least he was a happy unproblematic drunk.

Jack dropped a shot glass and it shattered. The pop and gasps some people to quiet down. On top of that, he managed to almost trip over his own feet near the glass. Bella jolted and grabbed onto Jack's shoulder to stabilize him. He slung his arm around her shoulder and apologized.

Alex and Zack made their way over when they saw Jack stumble. Ryan had turned the music louder to distract everyone. Bella told Alex about the glass and he had directed people away to take care of that. She knew she had to get two things done: she had to get Jack inside the bus before he caused something else to happen and she had to get some water in him.

"Bella!" Jack slurred. "Oh I'm so sorry." Her leg had gotten cut by a shard of glass at some point. She didn't even notice, and it didn't hurt, but the thin red line had begun to bleed. Bella knew that if she feigned pain, Jack would follow. She leaned in towards Jack and Zack. 

"Oh. Owww Jack, can you get me a bandage from inside?" she said, motioning to Zack to take him. Jack picked up a different bottle of alcohol and nodded. Zack struggled to get Jack to put the bottle down. Bella leaned in and hugged Jonathan and their band.

"I've got to take care of my leg. And Jack. But this was fun, nice meeting you," she said.

"See you some other time sweetheart," he said. She winked and ran off to help the boys. Once inside the bus, Bella asked Jack to get bandages. 

"Okay Zack, I got it from here. You go enjoy man." He looked at her leg and offered to help. "Oh no, I promise it doesn't hurt. I knew Jack would come if I needed help."

"You're not exactly sober either you know," Zack said handing her a bottle of water. "You sure you can handle him?"

"I FOUND THE BANDAGES!" Jack stumbled in with a roll of gauze, band-aids, and large bandages. He set them on the table and spread them out. Jack's demeanor turned serious as he sorted the objects by size. Zack looked over and laughed. 

"I can handle the big guy," she said. "Soo you go have fun, Merrick." Bella pushed Zack towards the door, convinced that there was no reason two of them needed to miss the party. She knew she could keep Jack inside if she pretended to be injured. "But WAIT!" She grabbed a bottle of tequila she snuck in and poured herself a double. Zack stood there confused and watched as she took a big shot. Bella's face puckered up and she groaned. "I needed a witness. With that, I have officially out drunk Jack." She threw her hands up in celebration.

Jack was distracted, still fixated on the bandages. Zack laughed and gave her props before being pushed out the door by Jack in an effort "keep his work station clean." Zack was left with the conditions that Bella and Jack would drink water, and that she would find Zack if she needed help. 

Bella sat on the table to get her wounds addressed because as Jack had put it, she was "at risk for bleeding out." Jack picked up the roll of gauze.

"Okay I don't need all this," she took the roll from him and laughed.

"Shhhh I'm the doctor here. I took Health and Biology in high school, so I know what I'm doing!" She sat back and resigned. Who was she to argue with an expert? "It needs to be cleaned first, where's the Everclear?"

"No more Everclear. Here, use this," she handed him a lime. Her mom would use that to disinfect wounds in a pinch so why not. He used the lime and Bella winced. Maybe the cut was slightly deeper than she thought.

"Bella please!" Jack said is a nasal voice faking annoyance. "I'm trying to work."

As he struggled to find the corner to peel the bandages open, he handed it to Bella and told her to open it "STAT." She also struggled and didn't have the nails to peel it, so she tore it from side to side, almost ripping the bandaid too.

"I could have done that!" Jack complained.

"But you didn't, soo come on Dr. Barakat, I'm dying." Bella lay across the table and fanned herself. "I'm feeling faint."

Jack took the bandages and put them across from one another in an "X". This didn't cover the cut completely, but it looked good, and Jack considered that to be more important. Because if it looked good, it was going to be more effective.

"Okay, we can take you to a hospital tomorrow," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. This was as good as it was going to get tonight. Jack had put in his all.

Bella looked down and saw that roughly 30% of her cut was covered. She stifled her laughter and thanked Jack for his lifesaving procedure. She hopped off the table and Jack was wide-eyed. He swooped her up and put her back on the table, stating that she shouldn't put too much pressure on her leg because it was too dangerous. She laughed and told him she would follow the doctor's order if he brought her water. He sprinted over, toppling over some shoes Zack left lying around. He stood up, pretending nothing happened and handed her two water bottles. 

"My turn to be the doctor," she said. "You have to drink this, all 24 oz., and I'll drink this one." Jack groaned and flat out refused. Bella moved to the edge of the table and swung her feet, threatening to jump up and go back outside.

"But you're too injured!" He argued.

"And only you can save me," she said. Jack locked eyes with her and gave her a serious nod. She almost felt bad for manipulating him while he was so far gone, but she knew that there was no harm because this was for his good.

Jack chugged the water and crushed the bottle, convincing himself that this was going to in some way help Bella. The alcohol and his hard work made him feel drowsy.

He laid down on the seats near the table and began to rest his eyes. Bella looked over and tried to get him into his bunk. She asked him if he wanted to watch a movie in his bunk.

"Will you watch with me?" he asked as he rolled on his side, his eyes still closed.

"Only if you brush your teeth," she told him. He nodded and got up sluggishly. Bella got herself ready for bed and tossed some PJs in the restroom for Jack to change. Jack was struggling to stay awake at the sink when he the clothes were thrown on him. After 10 minutes, he came back to his bunk with Bella's pillow in hand. She played Ace Ventura from her laptop and tried to get him in his bunk. He motioned for her to go in first.

"You said you would watch a movie with me," he frowned. "I brought your pillow." She sighed, knowing that she was going to be unable to hop over him and leave his bunk when he was asleep.

"Okay, come on then," Bella climbed in, not wanting to upset him.

"I like this movie," Jack mumbled. His eyes were closed and he rolled over to put an arm around Bella. While this wasn't a constant thing for them, they had cuddled a bit before going to bed on some long nights when one of them needed a friend. 

"I know," she said. Bella pulled the covers over them and realized Jack was already asleep. She put her laptop away and hoped that neither of them would wake up hungover.

________________

Stay positive and take care of yourselves <3.


	2. Opportunity Rings

——

Five years later…

——

The crowd was restless behind the curtains. Chants and cheers filled the arena. The nerves were starting to kick in from backstage. And how could they not, the place was sold out with thousands in attendance, and millions more watching from home. 

Bella sat in a salon chair and waited for her hair and makeup to be done backstage. Her scene queen hair was long gone and she had let her natural brunette hair grow long. In between the years, she had also acquired a tattoo sleeve and a few other tattoos that were not so easily seen. Bella had done well for herself in the past years and managed to be recruited by World Wrestling Entertainment as a wrestler. Since then, she had trained for a couple of years and move onto the main roster, allowing her to compete on television. 

There were also a few other changes, one being her name. For the wrestling world, she was known as Izzy. At first, the name ticked her off and she hated it. Now, she’s reached the point of indifference. Although her friends and close colleagues did know better than to call her Izzy if she wasn’t near fans or working.

Bella‘s hair was curled into soft waves. Her makeup on the other hand was heavy. Although she thought it looked a little ridiculous in regular lighting, this was so that she wouldn’t be washed out under all the production lights in the ring and backstage. Normally, she would be wearing her usual work attire, black over the knee combat boots, a bedazzled corset, and black shorts. But she wasn’t competing tonight per se. 

A meeting held earlier had let the ladies know that the women’s championship title was vacant. A tournament was to be held to decide which four women would compete for the title belt. The eight women chosen for the tournament were women with years of experience, prior champions, and Bella, the least experienced of the bunch. On one hand, she felt frightened of being made a fool next to these women. Yet, on the other hand, she figured that if it went well, competing alongside these women was a great way to gain credibility. 

Her job tonight was to interrupt the match between her future opponent, Natalya, and Bella’s on and off-screen friend Hayley. This was meant to set the scene and build up tension. 

After thanking the hair and makeup ladies, she got into position behind the curtains. She waited for her cue and watched the match on a nearby screen. Hayley had “accidentally” hit the referee upside the head, making him hit the ground. And that was her cue. 

Natalya had her back turned towards the ring. She charged into Hayley and celebrated her dominance. Bella snuck down the ramp and waited. Hayley had looked over at Bella, who held a finger over her lips and winked. A sly smile stretched across Hayley’s face. Bella crouched and pulled a black steel chair out from under the ring. 

Without a moment to waste, Natalya climbed the top rope, preparing to throw herself onto Hayley. Bella snuck behind her and smacked her across the head. Natalya toppled over, temporarily out cold. Bella threw the chair aside and started shaking the referee awake to count the pinfall. Hayley took this time to climb on top of Natalya and secure her victory.

The crowd booed the cheap victory. But the ladies paid no mind, laughing and hugging each other. 

Once backstage, Bella was questioned for her actions by Oscar, a backstage interviewer.

“Honestly, this was just a taste of what’s coming to poor little Nattie. By the time I finish with her next week, this little accident will be the least of her worries. I promise you that,” Bella said.

Bella locked eyes with the interviewer and she looked him up and down. It was then when she noticed Oscar’s bow tie was crooked. Her fingers grabbed his tie, and she pulled herself closer to him. He almost dropped the mic he held out, his cheeks flushed. She fixed his tie and gave him a little wink. 

“Your tie wasn’t straight. Anyway, if that’s all you got for me, I’ve gotta go celebrate.” She gave the camera a little wave and walked off. 

Now that she was off-camera and done for the night, the pressure was off. She made her way backstage to find Hayley, and on her way was stopped by one of her bosses. 

“Great work tonight Izzy. That tie thing, genius! I like what I’m seeing!” Tom grinned. Judging by the compliment, Bella knew a request was to come. “By the way, I need you to cover Nikki’s radio show gig next Monday in Maryland. We need her for something else. Can you do it?” 

He told her it was a morning radio show that started at 6 am, and that they were giving out tickets to next week’s show. She accepted, to keep herself in good graces with her superiors.

Bella then excused herself to look for Hayley. She greeted coworkers and asked if they knew where she had gone. One of the guys told her she was by catering. 

Sure enough, Hayley was sitting next to Natalya, eating. She greeted the girls and hugged Nattie.  


“I am so sorry. The chair was not my idea, but they wanted it in there, are you okay?” Bella asked, pulling up a seat beside the two. 

“Taking a chair to the head isn’t always easy, but I’m fine. You did well!” Natalya flashed a smile and excused herself to look for her husband. 

“The guys are on their way! And, um, by the way, I heard what some of the girls were saying about you backstage,” Hayley whispered. “You were right, they are not having it.” 

Bella groaned. When she was chosen for the tournament, she felt some of the girls change towards her. She hoped it was in her mind. 

“Bella, they’re jealous. Jealous that they’re still stuck being background dancers and supposed ‘managers’ for some of the guys. They want their turn to come. Don’t let it get to you B,” Hayley said laying her head on Bella. Bella exhaled deeply and shook her head. Hayley offered her a biscuit. 

“What bothers me is that they’re so fake!” Bella picked at the biscuit. “Three of the other girls had told me to my face that I didn’t deserve it. I respect them more than the other girls who are inviting me to go out, but talking behind my back.” 

“Can you imagine how fake they’ll be if you win the title? They’ll be like- OH MY GAWD IZZEEEY!” Hayley tried to keep a straight face as she continued with her loudly obnoxious extra girly accent. “CONGRATS, WE SHOULD GO CELEBRATEE SOMEWHERE!” 

“Twenty dollars says I can name exactly who they’re talking about,” Roman Reigns said. He set a cup across from the girls. 

“Fifty says I can name the four girls it applies to,” Dolph Ziggler laughed. He plopped his plate next to Roman. 

“So nice of you two to finally join us, now will you all kindly shut the fuck up before they hear,” Bella shushed. Hayley filled them in on the locker room drama. The guys repeated over and over that they didn’t care about petty drama, but the truth was they loved it. They were also the ones to tell the girls of gossip they heard backstage. 

“That’s bullshit,” Roman said. “These are the same girls who would want everyone to congratulate them if they were in your spot.” 

“Exactly!” Hayley yelled, practically falling out of her seat. “And you know they would be upset if you didn’t say anything.” 

“They’d walk around with their head up high, thinking they run the place, even without a title,” Dolph said swaying his head side to side and flipping his hair. Bella knew all of this to be true. “This is about you, not them.” 

“Thanks guys, I appreciate the support.” Bella gushed. “But enough about the irrelevant, the tour bus people called me. They told me the bus we wanted is available if we want it, sooo are we getting it?” 

The group talked about getting a tour bus while they were on the road to help cut down travel and hotel costs. 

“Yeah let’s do it. We have extra spots too right?” Hayley asked. 

“Yeah 5 extra, but if you guys want I can ask the two guys I tag team with and we can leave it at 7 so it’s not too many people on board,” Roman said. 

“7 is not too many,” she recalled her tour days where there were at least twice as many on that bus. 

“Oh god we’re going to be on a bus full of guys aren’t we Bella?” Hayley protested.

  
“Nah these two don’t count,” Bella joked. 

“Oh look at her, she thinks she’s a comedian now,” Roman said as he reached across and took Bella’s biscuit.

“I was eating that,” Bella complained. 

“You were picking at it, like some weird-ass bird.” Bella’s mouth dropped open and Hayley tried to stifle back laughter. Roman smirked and scarfed it down. “Okay I’ll catch you guys later I’ve got a match.”

The group wished him luck. Bella’s phone rang and she sighed. A photo of Bella kissing a man with a lip ring popped up. Hayley and Dolph exchanged glances as Bella flipped the phone over.

  
“I can say you’re dead!” Hayley offered. “Or Dolph can answer and say--”

“Nope, sorry leave me out of this one.” He said. “I will push the button for you to answer, but you should take that.” 

Bella nodded and stepped into an empty hallway. She picked up the phone and stayed quiet, waiting for an excuse.

“Hey, babe.” His voice was slurred. Bella rolled her eyes and remained silent. 

“So what you’re not going to talk now?” She could hear a can opening. “And you looked so happy being all close to the interview guy. Meanwhile, you won’t even call me.”

“I’m tired of you calling me just to have conversations like this.”

“Look just tell me, are you sleeping with him?” 

With that, Bella reached a breaking point. Her blood boiled and she turned red with rage. But, it wasn’t the typical rage where the tears blurred her vision and she was unable to find the words to say. This was a rage that made her stand tall and throw her filter away. She stormed out of the building as he repeated his question, practically accusing her due to the lack of response.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You think I’m sleeping with a guy because you saw me get close to him.”

“The way you looked at him-”

“I wasn’t fucking finished. Interrupt me again and I will hang up, so crack open another cold one because you may need a drink for this one love. So first of all, I’m fucking working. You know this. Everything on screen is for **_entertainment_**. Second, we haven’t had a decent conversation without you accusing me of anything in over three months.”

“That’s not-”

“First and only warning, I’m still not done. Three fucking months of you ignoring me, unless you see me close to another guy. You’re fucking ridiculous. Third, don’t fucking come at me and say I won’t call you. You won’t pick up. I have to text your fucking bandmates to ask if you’re fucking alive. You need to pull your shit together because honestly, I’m over it. I don’t need this.” Regardless of the emotions, she kept her composure and managed to not raise her voice.

“I don’t need my fucking girlfriend giving me a reason to doubt her. And it’s always _you_. 'This is bad for _**me**_. _**I**_ don’t like this about you.' Well, _I_ don’t need this shit either Isabella. Honestly, I’m done here too.” 

“So that’s it? It’s over? Choose wisely because I don’t do second chances.”

“Yeah don’t worry about that, let’s just get this over with. It’s fucking over Isabella, have a nice fucking life.” The line disconnected. 

In all honesty, she wasn’t hurt. She didn’t know what to label how she felt, but relief came pretty close. What she knew, was that it felt like a weight was taken off her shoulders. But was it lifted weight, or a void being created? Maybe she hasn’t yet processed the end of her three-year relationship. There was a chance that she would regret everything the next day. She couldn’t tell if she wanted to cry. All she was able to do was sit down on the cement, take a deep breath, and stare up at the sky.


	3. Those Handsome Bastards

Izzy agreed to cover her co-worker’s radio show. Naturally, she was anxious about her first solo radio appearance. Between worrying that she would sleep right through the show, and worrying about saying curse words on-air, she lost track of time. It wasn't until 3 AM when she decided it was easier to stay awake another three hours than it was to wake up in three hours. Begrudgingly, she pumped some caffeine in her system and hoped to be decent enough to be invited for more shows. 

The sky was blanketed with grey clouds. It was 6:30 in the morning, and the fall sky was still dark. Sunrise wasn’t for another half an hour, but the city of Baltimore was getting ready for their Monday morning.

“Hey this is WWE Diva Izzy here, and you’re listening to 98 Rock,” Bella spoke slowly. She looked for a nod of approval from the radio host Bryan. When a thumbs up was given she continued: “And we are giving away a pair of tickets for tonight’s SOLD OUT Monday Night Raw here in Baltimore.”

“All you have to do is be caller fifteen when you hear the siren at 7:30. Until then, we’re with our guest here talking about her Twitter,” The words rolled off Bryan’s tongue with the grace and speed that only a radio host holds. 

"Dude I cannot understand Twitter for the life of me," She said, pulling out her phone to show Bryan. "I have like four followers, and it's just my brothers."

"Let me see if I can help because there is no way you have only four followers," he asked Bella for her phone. "Well I found the issue," Bryan hid a smile behind his mic. "Your profile is private, and you have about 350K requests here. You have to accept them."

Her cheeks heated up and her jaw dropped. Bryan offered to help turn her profile public, which allowed everyone to follow her. As Bella scrolled through her vastly expanded list of followers, an assistant gave a thumbs up to the radio host. He nodded and went on to change the subject.

“Now that that's settled, Izzy, we found out something about you the other day. We had a good friend from All Time Low stop by last week to promote the band’s new single, ‘A Love Like War,’ and he let us know...” he trailed off, hoping Bella would say something.

Bella tried to tuck her hair behind her ears. Her fingers instead touched the bulky headphones. Her hands swiftly moved under the table, and she toyed with the rings on her fingers to calm her nerves. She smiled and nodded, pushing for the host to continue rather than incriminate herself. She didn’t know which member or what they would say, or where the radio host was going with this. And most importantly, she was not going to embarrass herself twice before it was even 8 AM.

“Well they let us know something interesting about you,” Bryan said, not budging. 

“Uh-oh... I’m nervous,” Bella responded. The rush of the caffeine kicked in, causing her leg to shake. She could feel her heartbeat in her throat as Bryan built up this unnecessary tension.

She ran through a list of what they could have said. Could it have been the time she got crossed and blacked out in Colorado or the time that Zack tried teaching her how to skate and she almost broke an ankle? Or the time that Alex and Bella got so drunk that they literally got lost in Downtown Seattle? Would it even be anything embarrassing?

“Well, they told us that you were their merch girl at some point. Is this true?”

“Oh my god, yes,” She let out a subtle sigh of relief. Then, she was taken aback after realizing that someone from the band had brought her up in conversation. “Yes, I was a merch girl for All Time Low for about three years. It was ‘07/’08/’09 I think. Man,” a soft smile crept on her lips. “I did some Warped Tours with them. I think I was there for like Soundwave and The Alt Press Tour too. I miss those handsome bastards, and I hope they’re doing well.”

“Well, they’re a popular name for the scene, so safe to say they’re doing well.” Bella‘s smile grew behind the mic. She was proud to hear someone talk so casually about their hard-earned success. It was true that she had not been in contact with the boys for a bit of time now, but those lovely weirdos still held a special place in her heart. “Izzy, how did you go from a merch girl to the WWE?”

“Well, the guys were amazing, and I met great people during my time with them, but I wanted to perform. Eventually, I was like, guys, I love you all, but I’m leaving when we get to Florida because there was like an open audition.”

“Were there any hard feelings when you left?”

“Oh no, they were all for it! Zack even trained me for a bit actually, he’s hardcore when it comes to that.” The assistant gave two thumbs up this time, and a red button began to flash between Bella and Bryan.

“So this person wanted to call in and say hi,” Bella furred her brows and concealed her mouth behind her fingers. “So if you’re there, you’re live on air, be nice.” Bryan pushed the flashing button.

“Heyyyyyy!” He yelled through the phone, still exhuming that enthusiasm he was known. Her hand dropped, and she grinned from ear to ear at the sound of his voice. “Long time no see, how are you?”

“My favorite freaking human being on earth!" He laughed from the other line. "I’m doing just lovely now. How are you, Jack?” She said matching his level of keenness. 

“Oh, I’m good. Dude, it’s been forever! We need to hang out again, all of us!” Jack said.

“Next time we’re in town together, it’ll happen, promise.” Bella beamed. Her nerves had subsided by now. 

“Hey Jack, I was telling miss Izzy here how you told us she was your merch girl,” Bryan said. Jack laughed and mentioned that the topic came up of old tours. Then he said how Zack had found pictures in an old camera of his, and how Bella had made a couple of appearances. Bella requested the photos, and Jack said he would relay the request. 

“Hey, well you know, umm Izzy,” Bella’s face wrinkled in disgust hearing Jack call her by her work name. “You know if this whole wrestling thing-"

“The small, part-time wrestling thing,” She interjected. 

“Very small haha. Yeah, if this side project of yours doesn’t work out you can always come join us again,” Jack laughed. Bella rolled her eyes and grinned. 

“I’ll think about it, Jack. My t-shirt folding skills aren’t what they used to be. I’m older now I can buy my own liquor and everything.”

“Dude, yes! I remember when we were just under 21, and we had to sneak the liquor in shows or have other guys buy it for us.”

“Oh yes! Oh my god,” Bella remembered that a sizable portion of her demographic was children. “Don’t drink Kids. Do kids watch this?”

“ _We here at 98 Rock, WWE, and All Time Low, do not condone underage drinking,”_ Bryan said seriously and without missing a beat. “But wow, from the sound of it, you guys must have some wild stories.”

“Actually, I remember this one time Alex and Bella got lost-“ 

“THANK YOU BARAKAT, TELL THE BOYS I SAID HI. I’LL CALL YOU LATER GOODBYE!!" Bella pushed the red button and shook her head.

“Tickets for tonight’s show at the 1st Mariner Arena are sold out so call to get these tickets! Come see John Cena, CM Punk, the fabulous Izzy, and more!“ Bryan said as he hit the siren sound and let the music play.

~~

After the radio gig, Bella made her way back tour bus. The caffeine high had run its course, and she felt her body yearn for rest before her match. Hayley woke her up, telling her it was time to head into the arena. When she woke, she saw a message from Zach Merrick. He sent over the photos and said, "not the best quality, but here you go, hope you're doing okay :) " Upon further inspection, she noticed a Twitter DM from @JackAllTimeLow that read:

“You said you’d call me :( you never did. I don’t have your number :(("

She felt a little cheeky and responded with, “First of all, why don’t you have my number :( Zack has my number" and followed with her number.

“I’m gonna kill him, he said he didn’t!" As Bella read Jack's message, Hayley rushed her out of the tour bus door.

Hayley and Bella made their way through the crowded hallways of the arena. Bella slung her duffle bag with her wrestling gear and other essentials over her shoulder. She squeezed past other wrestlers and the backstage crew as they finished setting up lights, cameras, and sound equipment. There was continuous chatter from the never ending stream greetings and numerous conversations being held.

"So you worked for THE All Time Low?" Hayley asked. "Like the- *ahem* IGOTCHURPICTUrRE- guys?"

Bella tilted her head and tried her absolute hardest to not laugh at the spot-on impression of Alex on stage. She nodded. Hayley was dumbfounded. 

"Cool, cool," Hayley reasoned. "While I was trying to meet guys at concerts, you were touring with THE All Time Low. I'm so jealous, I love them. How come you never brought this up? Wait- did you sleep with anyone from the band?"

"Hayley, what? Also, you never asked, and when am I supposed to bring that up?" Bella stated. They walked into the women's locker room and set their things down.

"Fair," Hayley muttered. "Wait, you didn't say no to sleeping with anyone from the band, umm, hello?" 

Bella opened her mouth to answer, but the buzz that came from Bella's phone interrupted. After making sure it wasn't her (now) ex, she answered the unregistered number. 

"I've been calling you! But you don't pick up! Do you not love me anymore? Is this what our friendship means to you?!" Jack cried out. 

Hayley grit her teeth at the sound of a guy yelling at Bella through the phone. Imagining that it was her ex, she put an arm around Bella for support. Much to the confusion of Hayley, Bella rolled her eyes with a **smile** and put the phone on speaker. 

"Don't sass me, or I'll hang up Barakat," Bella laughed. Hayley's eyes shot back and forth as she put two and two together. When Bella nodded, confirming that it was indeed _that_ Barakat, Hayley leaned into Bella to hear more.

"Don't do _that,_ I miss you dude. How are you? When are we hanging out, because, seriously, it's been too fucking long!"

"Wait, first of all, yes, we need to hang out. But first, a collab with Pierce The Veil?! Well... Vick but still congrats my dude! That’s exciting."

"Thank you, thank you, we’re touring with them and A Day To Remember right now! I called you because we're having a house party. After all, the tour is called 'The House Party Tour' and you should be there to party with your boys. So what city are you in this Friday?"

Bella was taken aback by the invite and the quick turnaround. She shrugged. Meanwhile, Hayley shuffled through her phone to find their schedule. New York- Hayley muttered. 

"LET'S GO!" He screamed. "Our party is in New York, some fancy house in the suburbs. Now you have to fucking come so we can party together again!" 

The girls covered their ears and laughed. Hayley fell to her knees and silently begged Bella to say yes. From the other end of the line, a different man's voice was heard in the background. Hayley got up to grab her water bottle from the bag across the room.

_"Jack, who the fuck are you talking to?"_ Jack said it was Bella on the other line, and then Jack was heard yelling for his phone. 

"Bella!! It's Alex, hi! How are you? Wait hold-up..."

A FaceTime call popped on the screen. Bella answered the call, and Zack, Rian, and Alex had hijacked the call. Bella greeted them and pulled Hayley in frame to introduce her. As 3/4 of 'THE All Time Low' guys greeted her, Hayley spit out her water and fell back against the wall. Jack ran into frame and asked for his phone back.

Bella noticed the difference that five years can make. Perhaps matured wasn't the word she would use to describe them as they began to bicker and snatch the phone out of one another's hand. But they did look more grown, Rian had let his hair grow, Zack and Jack had cut their hair shorter, even Alex's voice sounded a bit deeper. Their sense of fashion had also improved, thank god. They just looked different, a good different though, like greener pastures after a heavy rainy season. Even though she would hate to admit it, Bella began to feel a bit emotional.

"I was telling her about the party!" Jack snatched the phone. He set it on a table far enough so that all the guys were able to be seen.

"I'm in JB, _if_ I can bring people!" Hayley grinned, already planning out her outfit in her head. The guys cheered.

"Bella, dude, bring anyone you want! It's a big ass house party, and you know how this is going to go!" Jack screamed happily.

"Drinks, music, there's a pool too, it's September, but you know... why not?" Rian said.

"And you already said yes, so you and your friend Hayley can't miss it," Alex warned. Hayley pretended to faint off camera.

"Yeah, we'll go looking for you and drag you guys there if we have to," Zack threatened. Hayley, from across the room, whispered that Zack could drag her anytime he pleased. 

"Okay okay, I'm at work, so I'll talk to y'all later. Love ya weirdos, bye!" Bella said. She checked the clock and saw that she had fallen behind on schedule. She had a match in an hour and still needed to get hair, makeup, and check in with her boss to see how the tournament was going to go. 

"Love you!" They yelled back as Bella hung up the phone.

"Well, looks like we're going to a party, Hayley," Bella smiled. 

Tucking her phone away, Bella changed into her form-fitting gear. She pushed up her breasts and pulled up her black boots to cover the knee-pads. Hayley on the other hand, was placing bets on which of their bus mates would want to attend the party. 

On the way to hair and makeup, Bella’s opponent Natalya was spotted crying into her husband’s arms. They were both in their ring attire and hid in a corner, away from everyone. Bella stopped, debating whether she should try to comfort her. Nataya had her back against the wall and she slid to the floor. Her husband, knelt down and hugged her. 

Hayley pulled Bella away to not draw attention to them. Neither of them knew Natalya well enough to comfort her. In fear of being seen as invading their privacy, they walked away. The only thing Bella could do was talk to her before or after the match, and that would have to be enough, she reasoned. 


	4. Not Broken, Just Bruised

“Izzy, someone here wants to have a word,” Tom said, appearing out of thin air. She nodded. Hayley took the hint and darted off to catering.

Tom escorted her into a nearby room set up with a conference table. Bella awkwardly shifted in the office chair before noticing Paul across the table. Paul was the wrestler-turned executive when he married the CEO's daughter. When she saw him, she sprung to her feet. He walked around and hugged her.

“Paul was just talking to me about the tournament,” Tom said.

“I just wanted to wish you luck tonight,” Paul explained. "You must be excited at the opportunity to be the face of the women's division."

Paul mentioned that he continued to keep an eye on Bella when she moved to TV and saw untapped potential. He liked her work ethic and the way she presented herself on camera. With a hearty grin, Paul said he was excited to continue to work with her soon.

Bella froze. Truth be told Paul was always somewhat of an idol to her. This was the guy who she watched on television week after week growing up. When she started training, she saw him less as the grand performer and more as a great architect. While rising to a corporate figure, he remained true to his wrestling roots, ready to help the newbies build a solid foundation. He was one of a kind and a true mentor/father-like figure to all those who lace up their boots backstage.

“Thanks, Paul,” Bella grinned, and she felt her heartbeat in her palm. “I didn’t think I would be chosen to compete. So this is an amazing opportunity.”

Being told, personally, that she had caught an executive’s eye and told of future plans, she felt chills crawl down her spine.

——

After the eventful meeting and hair and makeup, Bella rushed over behind the curtain. As she stood waiting for her cue to exit down to the ramp, she felt electric.

The lights went out in the arena, and she walked forward. An instrumental version of Three Day's Grace "Animal I Have Become" rang out. Some light cheers rang from the outside.

“And the opponent. Making her way from Las Vegas, Nevada. Weighing in at 115 pounds... IZZY”

Bella switched into work mode, throwing her hair back and bringing a smile on her face as she made her way down the long ramp. She focused on the Women’s Championship, which hung above the ring.

She entered the ring, stopping briefly halfway to blow the camera a kiss. Behind a coy smile and air-blown kisses from the top rope, the audience made her presence felt. The cameraman paused to focus in on her, she turned and pointed at the title.

The energy shifted when she climbed down to face her opponent. Both women stared each other down intensely as they waited for the bell to ring.

From the announce table, Micheal Cole and Jerry "The King" Lawler provided the commentary for those watching at home.

“And welcome back to Monday Night RAW ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we continue our tournament to fill the vacant position of the Divas Title,” King called.

“That's right, now we'd like to take a moment and wish our former Diva's champion a speedy recovery with her neck surgery. We're rooting for you and a speedy return AJ! But what a match we have here tonight King, Izzy goes face to face here with the veteran Natalya,” Cole said.

The moment the bell rang, Natalya launched herself onto Bella. As they hit the floor, Natalya continued the relentless assault, throwing punches. The referee called for Nattie to stop. She rose her hands and nodded, then she took a fistful of Bella's honey-colored locks to pick her up and launch her into the corner turnbuckle.

“And what an explosive start here, we can see Natalya’s drive here," King said. "This may be revenge for that steel chair last week now. Natalya's only held the title once, and Cole you can see how badly she wants it. It may be her time,” Jerry said.

Bella’s head smacked against the corner. She flipped her hair behind her and dropped to the splits right before Natalya came full force. Nattie had run shoulder-first into ring corner. As Natalya retreated from her failed attempt, Bella swept her opponent’s feet. Seeing Nattie on the floor, Bella took a moment to rest on the turnbuckle.

“And Izzy with the leg sweep!" Cole cried out. "You know Natalya can WANT it bad enough, but she has to plan this out."

"Cole, please, Natalya is a veteran here," King said. "I'm sure she's got some kind of plan in motion."

Natalya sat up and slumped forward. She propped herself on one knee and staggered as she stood. Bella walked forward and pulled her up by Nattie's curled blonde hair. A stiff right hand connected with Bella's temple. Natalya then ran to the rope. Using the momentum, Natalya extended her arm in an attempt to knock over Bella. Not wasting a moment, Bella threw her body back as she caught herself with her arms into some type of backbend.

"What in the Matrix?" Cole said amazed. "Failed clothesline attempt by your **veteran** here, King. The sheer athleticism. Izzy-" Cole was cut off as Natalya swept Bella's legs as retaliation.

"Look at that, Natalya's getting mad here," King said. "We can't count her out just yet."

Bella picked herself and began throwing punches, leading Nattie to the corner. As she shielded her face, Bella began to climb the corner turnbuckle to get more leverage into her punches.

Seizing the moment, Natalya lifted Bella and threw her outside of the ring onto the floor. From her exposed back, a sharp stinging sensation reverberated throughout her body as Bella made contact with the floor. Her back arched as she groaned and closed her eyes. She was going to feel sore for the rest of the week. From the crowd, there were some yelling and cheers. There were even those in front rows who leaned forward on the barricade to get a better view.

"Natalya with the powerbomb, throwing Izzy right out of the ring," King yelled, calling for an instant replay.

"And Izzy may be in trouble here King," Cole said. "These two ladies are giving it their all for a chance at the title."

With her eyes still closed, Bella plopped back into the ring. Not wanting to waste a moment, Natalya went for the cover. The referee began to count:

**ONE... TWO...**

Bella lifted her shoulder and sprung up. Natalya kicked her back and grabbed Bella's legs to prep for one of her finishing moves. Nattie dragged Bella to the middle of the ring, crossed her legs at the shins, and flipped her over. As she swung her leg over, she started applying pressure. The crowd cheered Natalya on, erupting with "Let's go Nattie" chants.

"And Natalya with the Sharpshooter!" King yelled. "Now Izzy's really in trouble here. This may be it."

Bella yelled out and reached out. Not feeling anything, she moved the hair out of her face and realized her predicament. The referee slid by Bella and began to ask her if she wanted to tap out. Bella shook her head. Natalya applied more pressure.

"Izzy's not giving up without a fight King," Cole called out, noting the pain on Bella's face.

Bella bean to crawl to the bottom rope, her only hope of relief. She inched herself closer as Natalya applied even more pressure. The referee continued to relentlessly ask if she wanted out. Bella shook her head and continued to crawl. Eventually, her efforts were not in vain. Her arm grabbed the bottom rope, and the referee told Natalya to let go. Natalya obliged, she pulled her hair back in frustration.

As Bella propped herself on one knee, she was met by Natalya's right boot. She felt something wrong with her nose as she fell onto her arm.

"Cole, what an exciting match we have here tonight," King said. "And wait a minute- Is that blood?"

"It does appear that Izzy has blood coming down her nose," Cole confirmed. "Izzy's going to be fired up after this King, she is not going to let that slide."

Bella wiped her nose and confirmed her suspicion, she was indeed bleeding from her nose. In seeing the red liquid on her hand, her adrenaline kicked in, and she was reinvigorated.

Bella picked herself up and began throwing punches. Nattie again picked Bella up once more with ease and threw her into the middle of the ring. Again, the stinging sent jolts of pain throughout her back as Bella made contact with the floor once more.

"Natalya with another powerbomb," King yelled. "This may be it."

Natalya went for the cover.

**ONE... TWO...**

Bella reversed the pin, rolling Nattie over and going for it herself.

**ONE... TWO...**

Natalya sprung up and went in for more punches. Bella dodged the punch, spun, and landed a swift, hard kick to the side of Nattie's head. Natalya was out cold. She dropped to the floor, the crowd finally letting out some loud and hearty cheers.

Bella went for the cover.

**ONE... TWO... THREE.**

The bell rang, and the crowd roared. After letting out a big sigh, Bella realized that she secured a spot in the finals. She also recalled the earlier conversation with Paul and remembered that she was supposed to play a bad guy on TV. As much as she loved being cheered on, she knew it wasn't her role.

On that note, she swooped down and grabbed a fist full of her fake blonde hair. Natalya yelped in pain, her head being yanked back. With another mischievous grin on her face, Bella shook her head and muttered insults. As Nattie's face twisted with pain, Bella paused to let the cameras come closer before slapping her. The crowd began to boo her. "You're not worthy" chants broke out.

Being almost satisfied, Bella wiped the blood out from under her nose and stood up. As she exited, she made a point to step on Natalya. The audible disdain from the audience doubled.

When she was sure that no one was filming her backstage, she rushed herself to have a doctor look at her still bleeding nose. A few questions later, she was reassured that her nose was not indeed broken, just badly bruised. He gave her something to help with the bleeding and told her to rest and follow up if it remained an issue.

On that positive note, she gathered her belongings and headed over to rest. Struggling to see past the ice pack on her nose, she stumbled into the bus and tossed her duffle onto her bunk. Bella poured herself a glass of wine filled to the brim and headed to the bathroom to wash all the makeup off her face. She slid the door open and found Hayley cutting herself bangs over the sink.

"Hi," Hayley mumbled. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her mascara clumped together. "Don't worry, there's a bag over the sink. So the hair won't clog the drain."

Sure enough, there was a white plastic bag over the sink, littered with Hayley's dark red hair. Bella sat on the floor and pat the spot next to her. Hayley plopped down and leaned her head on Bella's shoulder. Bella took the scissors from her hands and wrapped her arms around her. At this point, Hayley was numb, she didn't move, and she was devoid of all emotion.

"Kelsey's been cheating on me," Hayley said. "So that's over. And I tried giving myself bangs, but I think they're uneven."

Bella handed her the glass of wine. Hayley downed the drink and then noticed Bella's nose. She said she was fine, and most importantly, reassured her that her bangs were in fact not uneven.

"Remember how we were, um not so broken, earlier tonight?" Hayley said.

"Was this before or after you choked on the water during the Facetime?" Bella joked.

"I can't believe you just put me on the spot like that," Hayley said. "We are going to that party, right? Because I think I really need that right now."

"Yes, Hayley we are going to the party because I need that shit too."

"B, how did you get over your breakup so quickly? You seemed totally fine that night."

"I don't think I'm over it, at all," Bella confessed. "I did do something stupid though."

She admitted that when she got off the phone, she ran into another wrestler who was also having relationship issues on the phone. And the next thing she knew, she was on his bus, and he was well... inside her.

"They say a great way to get over someone is to get under someone," Bella joked. Hayley tried to guess who this person was, but Bella said she wouldn't give in.

"Your nose is bleeding again," Hayley said, offering her some paper towels. "I didn't even ask how your match went. She didn't break your nose did she?"

"Oh I won, and no. It's just bruised."


End file.
